Miyuki's Story
by Jane Colfer
Summary: She has always loved Black but will he ever notice? BlackxOC This is my longest running fanfic ever and based on my favourite anime movie of all time so I hope you all enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

"You're in luck; I just got a fresh batch this morning."  
Miyuki grinned as she pulled out a small bag of black powder, exchanging it for a small amount of cash.  
"Cheers Jeff, see you around."  
She watched him leave, sighing slightly as she leaned against the wall.  
She was reasonably pretty, with long curly black hair done up in a high ponytail, slightly tanned skin and dark green eyes. Many people said she looked quite mature, very few people could tell she was only thirteen. This was a good thing, considering that even in Treasure Town it was still illegal for minors to sell drugs. Unfortunately that was the only way she could earn money without standing on a stage stark-naked in front of a dozen drooling louts.  
She still had some dignity left.  
"Agent White reporting in!"  
Miyuki grinned, turning to see White stood there saluting her. She saluted back.  
"Agent Yuki standing by. How goes the fight for justice?"  
"Agent White is keeping the peace!"  
"Great job agent and no good deed goes unrewarded." She pulled out a banana Popsicle, holding it out to him. "Keep up the good work."  
"Roger that!" He said eagerly, taking the Popsicle before getting distracted by a stray dog with a shoe in its mouth.  
Miyuki watched him chase after the dog, smiling happily.  
"You know, you're the only one who doesn't freak out when he acts like this."  
"Well I never had much of a childhood so it's as much fun for me as it is for him." She replied, turning to look at the boy stood behind her. "How's it going Black?"  
"Same old, just had some punks come into Treasure Town this morning, trying to make their mark."  
"Any trouble?"  
"Nah, they hardly put up a fight."  
"Should have guessed." Miyuki laughed before pulling some cash out of her pocket and holding it out to Black. "Here, something for your little savings stash."  
Black looked at her hand for a while.  
"We don't take charity."  
"Good, because this isn't a donation."  
"Miyuki..."  
"Don't try and argue with me Black, you know you can never win." She pushed the money into his hand before he could protest. "Besides, I owe you. You guys have got me out of some pretty tough scrapes in the past."  
"Yeah well, you seem to be the only one who understands that this is my town." He said, stuffing the cash into his pocket reluctantly.  
"Trust me mate, I'd rather have you running this joint than those dumb Yakuza. I swear half the time they don't know what they're doing."  
"Yeah, about that." Black said. "Thought I'd give you a heads up, the rat's back in Treasure Town."  
Miyuki frowned.  
"Again? I thought he was gone for good this time. Thanks for the warning, I'll keep my eye out." She hesitated slightly. "So, um, Black. I was wondering, if you're not doing anything tonight then maybe..."  
"Oh! I just gots a great idea!" White ran over, pulling at Black's arm. "Come on Black! We need to get higher so that we can spot the bad guys!"  
"Yeah yeah, just hang on a sec White." Black said, turning back to Miyuki. "What were you saying?"  
Miyuki opened her mouth but then just smiled and shook her head.  
"It was nothing. Go on, you have your orders." She added, smirking slightly.  
"Right." Black grinned. "See you."  
"Agent White over and out!"  
"Agent Yuki signing off!" She called back, laughing as she waved to the two boys, watching as they walked off.  
As soon as they were out of sight, she groaned gently.  
"Congratulations Miyuki, you get full points for the best version of chickening out this town has seen in a long time."


	2. Chapter 2

Black stared at the wild landscape that was Treasure Town... his town.  
"This is a great place to spot the bad guys; they'll never see us coming from here."  
He grinned as he listened to White's senseless babble, turning to look at his younger brother. How he could live in his own little world in a place like this was anyone's guess, but Black was used to it by now. Besides, White still paid attention when it was important.  
He turned away again, looking at the torn and beaten display before him.  
This town became rougher and more run-down by the day; it was amazing that it had survived this long. And no matter how long it survived, Treasure Town would always play host to battles. Yakuza, cops, any local wise-guys... they all fought to own Treasure Town.  
And he would strike them all down where they stood.  
Nobody could take his town.  
Nobody would.  
Nobody.  
_Feel the darkness..._  
"Why did she give you money?"  
Black blinked, looking back at White.  
"Who?"  
"Agent Yuki. I saw her give you money." White had his head on one side, looking at Black curiously. "Why did she do that?"  
Black sighed slightly, leaning back against the sign they were stood in front of.  
"It's nothing, she was just saying thanks."  
"I think she wants to come."  
"Excuse me?" Black raised an eyebrow.  
White gave him a conspiratorial smile.  
"I think she wants to leave with us. Remember how when the piggy gets fat we'll ride in an aeroplane? Agent White thinks she wants to come too."  
"I don't think that's what she meant by it."  
"But Black, she knows what it's for!" White grinned again. "Methinks Agent Yuki is a very smart girl, she's being very sneaky."  
"White," Black looked seriously at his brother. "If Miyuki really wanted to come she knows all she has to do is ask. She wouldn't pay us to take her." He smirked, giving his brother a playful punch on the shoulder. "Anyway, she wouldn't be too happy if you were slacking on your watch now would she?"  
"Agent White is doing his job, roger that! We is gonna get those bad guys!"  
Black laughed at this, shaking his head slightly as he started watching the town again.  
"Black?"  
"Hmm?"  
"Would you want her to come?"  
Black hesitated a moment before responding.  
"I wouldn't say no. Why? Do you want her to?"  
"Agent Yuki likes Agent White, he helps her defeat the bad guys."  
"I'll take that as a yes then."  
The two stood in silence for a long time. While White searched for signs of trouble, Black thought about what he had said.  
Truth be told, he wouldn't have minded if Miyuki came with them. He quite liked having her around. There was only one problem, something he couldn't tell White.  
Black wasn't even sure he wanted to leave Treasure Town.


	3. Chapter 3

"Treasure Town certainly seems quieter now."  
Suzuki chuckled to himself as he remembered when he had been here before, when the streets were really rough. Things had become calmer but he was back now, things could heat up again anytime.  
And very soon this town was going to boil over.  
"What do you think Kimura?"  
Kimura looked up at Suzuki.  
"I'm not sure Mr Suzuki; this town doesn't seem that different from anywhere else."  
"That's how she lures you in. She lulls you into a false sense of security before pouncing on you when you're not looking."  
"Mr Suzuki?"  
"This town is a beast, Kimura, watch your back or she'll swallow you up."  
Kimura didn't say anything, unsure how to comprehend his boss's strange comment.  
The gang went on in silence for a while.  
"Hey boss, shouldn't we be getting back to the office?"  
"Later, first I want to make sure some things haven't changed." They turned a corner and Suzuki grinned, spotting what he was searching for. "Bingo."  
Miyuki was stood next to an abandoned stall, talking to a shifty looking middle-aged bald man.  
"I reckon this should keep you going for a while mate, you only need half the amount to get the same effect."  
"I swear Miyuki; you're an angel from heaven."  
"Angels don't push." She laughed, taking the money from him before watching him make his way down the street.  
"Well well, long time no see."  
Miyuki froze, turning to look at Suzuki with an icy glare.  
"Hello Rat." She eyed the gang behind him. "I see you've got a new pack. What happened to the old one? Left them down the sewers?"  
"He he, still as sharp as a knife aren't you Miki?"  
"Don't call me that." She hissed darkly. "Nicknames are for friends and family, not vermin."  
"There's no need for that. I've just come to see how you've been. Has life been treating you good?"  
"If life was treating me good I wouldn't be on the streets pushing drugs, would I?" She muttered sarcastically.  
"Still got the good stuff?"  
"Still got the green stuff?"  
Suzuki pulled out a few notes and handed them to Miyuki, who exchanged them for a pack of 'special' cigarettes.  
"That's a good girl, still taking care of your old man after all these years."  
Miyuki laughed.  
"My old man?" She raised an eyebrow at him. "Sorry, I stopped playing make-believe seven years ago."  
With that, Miyuki turned and walked away.  
"Give my regards to Black." Suzuki called out to her.  
"I'll make sure he's got your ticket to hell!" She snapped back, never once looking back at him.  
Suzuki just chuckled.  
"Nice kid." Kimura commented.  
"Yeah, she's a real chip off the old block." Suzuki murmured, grinning as he watched his daughter walk out of sight.


	4. Chapter 4

"... One... Two... THREE!"  
The Apaches roared in pleasure as Choco slammed Vanilla's hand down onto the table.  
"HA! I win again! Pay up!"  
"Ah man, I've got to stop doing this." Vanilla muttered, handing over a wad of cash.  
"When are you gonna learn that no one can beat me."  
"Heh, I'll get you one day."  
"No way, I'm top and you know it!"  
"Yeah! Choco's the man!" The others cried out, high-fiving Choco.  
"Well he could be a woman for all we know."  
They turned to see Miyuki stood there, smirking at all four of them.  
"Hey, the Treasure Town Angel pays us a visit." Strawberry called out, causing Miyuki to laugh as she walked over to them.  
"How's it going guys?" She asked, before looking at Choco. "Just kidding man, you're all macho in my eyes."  
"And don't you forget it." He responded, grinning at her. "So, what can we do for you tonight?"  
"I just brought a couple of party favours." She smirked, holding up for glass vials of different coloured powder. One brown, one yellow, one pink and one green. "Custom made, a party favour for your own flavour."  
"Woah! You know how to please a man Miyuki! How come you ain't got a boyfriend yet?"  
"Why? You offering?" She laughed, distributing the vials between them. "I'm not really bothered about that. Besides, who needs a boyfriend when I have you guys?"  
"Amen to that." Choco said as he took his vial. "Well, it's a good job I just got paid."  
"Nah, I'm feeling generous so tonight it's on the house."  
"You're the best Miyuki." Mint said and the others roared in agreement.  
"Anyway, I thought you were saving yourself for Black?" Vanilla commented.  
Miyuki raised an eyebrow at him.  
"You best snuff that stuff before I change my mind about not charging you."  
"I'm just saying." Vanilla said, grinning and holding his hands up in submission.  
Miyuki grinned too. It was times like this she was glad she could hide her feelings, so that they couldn't see how close Vanilla was to the truth.  
She sighed, seeing the time on the huge clock tower.  
"Gotta shoot fellas, been booked for a midnight shift." She rolled her eyes. "Some weirdo's reckon they look cooler getting a hit in the middle of the night. I'll catch you later."  
"See you Miyuki."  
They watched her start to walk away, before turning back to each other, still going on about how Choco beat Vanilla easily.  
"Good evening gentlemen."  
The Apaches turned to see three men in suits stood there.  
"What the hell do you want?"  
"Take it easy, we don't want to fight." One of the men said, grinning at them. "My name is Kimura, and I'm here with a little business proposition."  
Miyuki had stopped when she'd heard the voice, watching the display carefully.  
"Kimura..." She murmured. He'd been with the Rat earlier, what was he doing here now?  
"We have some work to do with the locals, a little stock to deal out. And we need to do it without any distractions, if you get my meaning. Nothing personal and we won't undermine your reputation."  
"Get the hell out!"  
Miyuki rolled her eyes as Choco started to snap back at Kimura.  
Typical Yakuza, either dirty slime balls or big-headed louts. She liked the Apaches but still, they could be a bit thick at times. Kimura was part of the Rat's gang; anyone could see that he meant business. But still Choco wouldn't give in.  
She watched them, wondering how long it would take before some kind of fight started.  
"Choco's on fire tonight!"  
Miyuki looked up at the sound of White's voice. It didn't take long for her to spot him and Black stood in the crowd. She could tell from the look on Black's face that he knew this situation was serious. In fact, barely a moment after she noticed his face, Kimura looked at Black.  
Miyuki shivered, feeling like someone had just walked over her grave.  
She had a bad feeling about this.  
"You listening?"  
"Huh?"  
"No he ain't listening, he ain't got no ears."  
She rolled her eyes; they just never learned did they.  
"Let's go."  
"Huh? Hey, Kimura!"  
The gangsters left, getting in the car and driving off. Miyuki ignored the sounds of celebration from the Apaches, watching as the car disappeared. The Rat had never tried anything like this before; she needed to know what was happening.  
She looked over to the Apaches. They were still celebrating and now White was in the middle of them. Black stood a little away from them, staring after the car.  
Miyuki walked over to him.  
"The Rat came to see me earlier, that Kimura guy was with him." She murmured to Black quietly. "You think something's going down?"  
"I don't know, but I don't like this guy messing with my town." Black replied, not even looking at her as he spoke.  
"I thought as much." She murmured softly.


	5. Chapter 5

The woman handed over the money.  
"Thanks Sen, don't go overboard with this stuff."  
"Miyuki, when have I ever done something stupid?"  
"Throughout your whole life or just recently?"  
Sen laughed.  
"You always had a sharp tongue." She raised her eyebrow at Miyuki. "You know, you're getting really pretty, prettier than your mum was at your age. You should really consider coming to work with me and the girls."  
"Sen," Miyuki smirked. "Whilst I'm stuck in this cess-pool of a town I intend to retain whatever dignity I have left. It would be impossible to do that if I followed in my mum's footsteps."  
"I didn't say now, you're still a minor, but it could be a great career for you in the future."  
"See you Sen." Miyuki chuckled, walking away.  
"At least consider it!" Sen called after her.  
"Not a chance!"  
Miyuki sighed as she made her way down the street.  
Nothing could ever make her resort to following her mother's path. Besides, she liked her life now. She had everything she needed. Somewhere to live, money to live on, friends... Black... She wouldn't give up her life now for all the jewels and pretty dresses in the world. She wouldn't give it up for anything.  
"Having a good morning Miyuki?"  
Especially not for the cops.  
"Not bad, business is a bit slow this morning but it'll pick up Fujimura." She said, smirking at the two cops in front of her. "You a newbie?"  
"That's right, just started this week."  
"Cool, it's always nice to see a new face." Miyuki said, holding out her hand. "The name's Miyuki."  
"Sawada." He replied, shaking her hand.  
"If we could skip the pleasantries, you know why I'm here."  
Miyuki rolled her eyes.  
"Trust me, he gets worse than this." She muttered to Sawada before turning back to Fujimura. "Let me guess. 'Quit the job or I'm going to arrest you?' Is that about right?"  
"Very funny. Look Miyuki, you shouldn't be breaking the law at your age. Hell, you shouldn't even be working at your age."  
"Yeah well I'm kind of lacking the usual benefactors kids get, aka my parents." She hissed bitterly, starting to get annoyed.  
"I know you feel that way, with your mum being dead and your dad-"  
"Also being dead." She interjected, knowing what he was going to say.  
"But there are plenty of places for a young girl to live; I myself have offered to take you to a good orphanage."  
"I know, and I'm touched with your concern. But Fujimura, I'm not a child. My childhood was taken away from me, and now I can take care of myself." She sighed. "See you around guys."  
She started to walk away.  
"You're a nice girl Miyuki; you just got caught up with the wrong crowd!"  
She froze, turning back to face him.  
"And what's that supposed to mean?"  
"You know what I mean Miyuki." Fujimura looked at her seriously. "You can do better than him."  
Her breath caught in her throat at his words.  
She watched the two cops leave, feeling a sharp pain in her heart, her eyes stinging with tears. He voice was a barely audible whisper, her words were choked slightly.  
"How can I do better when I don't even have him?"


	6. Chapter 6

"I don't need your opinion."  
Suzuki watched as his boss bit into the large peach before lighting another cigarette.  
He didn't like the idea of developing Treasure Town; it should stay the way it was. But once the boss set his mind to something he never changed it.  
"Now, just make sure your boys get the job done in time. Deal with all the local wise-guys and anyone who kicks up a fuss and do it quick."  
"Yes sir."  
"And Rat, I don't want any more of your back-chat. You do your job, that's it. You got it?"  
"Yes sir."  
"Good, now get out of my sight."  
"Yes sir."  
Suzuki got up and left the office.  
"Where to now Mr Suzuki?" Kimura asked as he and the others met him outside.  
"Let's just get out of here so I can clear my head."  
They nodded leading him outside to the car. Kimura got in the back with Suzuki whilst the other two got in the front.  
After a few moments of driving in silence, Suzuki looked up.  
"Kimura?"  
"Yes Mr Suzuki?"  
"I wonder if I could ask you a favour, nothing to do with what the boss says, just something personal."  
Kimura blinked slightly.  
Suzuki sounded serious, and if it wasn't to do with the job then what could it be? He knew that Suzuki respected him, in fact Kimura saw him as a father, but what favour could he possibly ask him? What could he possibly do?  
"Uh... of course Mr Suzuki."  
Suzuki lifted his cigarette to his mouth, taking a long deep drag.  
He didn't say anything for a long time and Kimura was beginning to wonder if this was some kind of loyalty test or something.  
"Miyuki."  
"What about her?"  
"The boss wants this town to go through some serious developments." He said softly, staring out at the window. "Developments that mean many people will lose their homes, including Miyuki. I want you to tell her to get out of town, offer cash or buy tickets to get out yourself if you have to just make sure she gets out."  
"Sir?"  
"She probably won't listen but I have to try."  
"With respect Mr Suzuki, Miyuki has disowned you as her father. Why are you doing this for her? You know the boss wouldn't like me spending his money to get her out of town."  
"I'll deal with him. And she may have disowned me but nothing can change DNA. She's my daughter, I have to help."  
They sat in silence again.  
"I never meant to do this to her."  
"What do you mean sir?"  
"Sure, in the days of my youth, I would be cavorting with god knows how many women but I was still careful, the last thing I wanted was to try and raise a child whilst I'm in this line of work. So when I learned about Miyuki I felt a nagging guilt, something that has no place in my mind or my heart. Ever since then I've been trying to make it up to her." He sighed, taking another drag on his cigarette. "Did you know I bought her a gun on her birthday? So she could protect herself?"  
"Really?"  
"Yep, I think that was the last straw for her but I never gave up. And I never will. She's the only thing I've got to lose, and the one thing I want to keep."  
Another moment of silence.  
"I won't fail you Mr Suzuki, I'll make sure she has somewhere to go when she leaves this town."  
"Thanks."  
The two Yakuza didn't speak another word to each other throughout the rest of the journey.


	7. Chapter 7

"MIYUKI!"  
Miyuki turned slowly, raising her eyebrow at Mint as he made his way towards her.  
"Don't tell me you guys have used up your party favours already!"  
"It's not that." His voice was serious, something Miyuki wasn't used to hearing from any of the apaches. "Have you seen Vanilla? We were supposed to meet up today but he hasn't showed?"  
"I haven't seen him since last night. But I'll keep an eye out for him."  
"Thanks Miyuki." He sighed. "We just don't know where he could have gone."  
Watching Mint walk away, Miyuki thought about this.  
Something wasn't right.  
The apaches had a particular meeting spot, somewhere that Vanilla lived barely five minutes away from. So for him to disappear like that it must be a seriously clever kidnapper...  
"Or he went willingly..."  
No, it couldn't be.  
She started making her way along the street, trying to think what could possibly have made Vanilla want to...  
"WOAH!"  
Miyuki jumped back just in time as a long black car just suddenly pulled up in front of her.  
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ABOUT?" She yelled, glaring angrily at the front window.  
Her eyes widened when the door opened... only to reveal Kimura getting out of the car. She stepped back slightly her fists clenched in rage.  
"Now now Miyuki, there's no need to get angry."  
"No? Wouldn't you be angry if some crazy Yakuza just drove out and nearly ran you over?"  
Kimura laughed.  
"Well, you are a feisty one."  
"No, I've just got a bad temper." She muttered bitterly, crossing her arms and glaring at him. "What do you want Kimura?"  
"It's not what I want, it's what Suzuki wants."  
She froze, tensing up at the mention of his name. What could he possibly want? And if he did want something, why didn't he come and tell her himself... something told her this wasn't going to go well.  
"You see, the boss still thinks you actually mean something so he's asked me to make you a little offer. Get out of town."  
"That's his way of showing that I mean something to him? I'm so touched."  
"Don't play games with me Miyuki, this isn't a joke." He clicked his fingers and one of the other Yakuza came forward, holding out a wad of cash to Miyuki. "Take the money and get out of Treasure Town, get yourself a decent life."  
Miyuki glared at them before looking down at the money.  
"Go to hell."  
Kimura smiled.  
"Sure, I'll give Vanilla your regards when I get there."  
"What!"  
Kimura just grinned, nodding at the others as they got in the car.  
"KIMURA! Get back here you slimeball, what are you talking about! HEY!" She rushed forward but the engine started and the car drove away. "KIMURA!"  
She was rigid, feeling sense of dread come over her.  
"Oh god, Vanilla..."


	8. Chapter 8

A group of crows flew overhead, cawing loudly to the busy morning.  
Miyuki's eyes stayed on the ground as she listened, pulling her knees closer to her chest as she tried to collect her thoughts and stay calm.  
_Why is everything going wrong?_ She thought to herself. _First the rat decides to come back, then Kimura told her to get out of town and now Vanilla is missing while the others have his ears in a box._  
The fact that the Yakuza had even tried something like this showed that something big was going down and it was happening soon. She didn't know what to expect but she knew it wasn't going to be good for anyone; maybe that was why the rat wanted her to get out of town. Unfortunately that worried even her. If a Yakuza was getting nervous then everyone needed to panic.  
And yet even as she thought about this, Miyuki knew that there was something else bothering her more about this situation.  
White.  
She hadn't slept or even gone home that night, just stayed on the streets to find some information, so she'd been one of the first people around in the early hours of the morning. That was when she had seen White, wandering on his own in a dejected manner towards the local school. Even when Miyuki had called out to him, expecting a report about keeping the peace, he had only mumbled a response and continued walking. Black was nowhere in sight, that meant he had left the boy alone that night... which either meant there would be some new dead bodies turning up or at least some badly beaten guys hanging about.  
"I take it you've heard about Vanilla."  
_Speak of the devil._  
Miyuki's eyes lifted up to meet blacks, noticing very faint traces of a recent battle on him. It was details like this that gave away his activities, she'd learned to spot them over the years.  
"Yeah I heard. Haven't seen the others since last night so I don't know-"  
"Choco took off. I imagine Mint and Strawberry won't be far behind." He said, watching her as she gazed at him in silence, her eyes narrowed slightly. Black had learned that Miyuki could often tell when he was involved in things like this, so he wasn't surprised by the way she looked at him. "Aren't you going to ask what happened?"  
"Do I really want to know?"  
"Probably not."  
"Then I won't bother asking."  
For a few moments the two of them were in silence.  
"Have you seen-"  
"White was heading towards the school." Miyuki said, standing up and turning away from Black. "He doesn't look too great, I don't think he got much sleep."  
"Right."  
Black started to walk away from her, heading after White.  
"This is your town." She murmured, causing Black to stop and turn back to her. "And you need to deal with anyone who causes you trouble. I respect that Black, you know I do. But don't forget that you actually have something worth fighting for." Her eyes lifted to meet his. "White needs you."  
"I know that."  
"Make sure you do." With that Miyuki began to walk away. "Otherwise we might lose both of you."  
"You getting worried about us?" Black called after her.  
"Nah, but I prefer calling you boss than the other idiots around here."  
Black couldn't help laughing slightly as he watched her walk away.  
Somewhere deep down, part of him knew Miyuki had a point. But the other part of him knew he had to do everything he could to keep people from causing problems in town... even if that meant not involving White at times.  
He turned away, walking towards the school to try and find White.


	9. Chapter 9

"... Certainly my friend, I will be there shortly... Yes the presentation will go as planned... No there's no trouble, I just had some other business to take care of first... And I look forward to working with you... goodbye."  
Snake ended the phone call and handed the phone to one of his men.  
His golden eyes turned to gaze outside as the limousine continued to drive along the busy street, smirking as he noticed the curious faces of the locals.  
Such unusual little town this was. It was a run-down place with no real purpose for its existence other than it was there, yet the whole district was brimming with potential, something that would suit the 'Kiddy-Kastle' project very well. Indeed while this was a strange place, Snake found many things quite interesting about this place.  
The variety of people living out their pointless existence in a town with no meaning, the conflict of control over this mere patch of concrete...  
Yet the most delightful thing about this place was the name.  
Treasure Town.  
Small, quaint and simple but with some hidden gems lurking in its black shadows.  
He had found such a gem in that bar, 'The Eyes'. Kimura was indeed a fascinating case; Snake had gotten records about him from his new business partner, him and all of the other Yakuza, but a bit of background detail had appeared thanks to his own research. Yes, the man's bitterness at being tossed out of the Yakuza would certainly help to make him a useful asset, something he would need if he was to make his plan successful.  
But even with Kimura, he still needed someone from the people to help him get both control and information about the Cats, who were clearly going to be difficult to deal with.  
He had a few names come up during his research but nothing seemed to...  
"Pull up here." He said, the driver nodding as the limo slowed down to a halt  
One of his guards opened the door and Snake got out, walking towards the alley corner, approaching a young girl who was dealing with an older woman.  
"See you next week, and try to stick to the dose I told you this time." She said as her companion left, leaning against the wall to count the money in her hand.  
"Business going well?"  
"Not bad, just a little slow thanks to the-" The girl stopped suddenly, looking over at Snake in surprise. "So, you here on holiday or hoping to set up shop?"  
"Is it that obvious I'm not from around here?" Snake asked, smiling pleasantly at her.  
"Strangers don't usually last long in Treasure Town, so it's easy to spot them. Stick around for a while and you'll see what I mean."  
"You must have lived here for a while then."  
"Born and bred." She smiled, holding a hand out to him. "The name's Miyuki."  
"Snake." He replied smoothly, taking her hand and pressing it to his lips. "Enchanté."  
Miyuki blushed slightly, causing Snake to grin even more.  
"Well now I know you're foreign, we don't get manners like that around here."  
"You seem quite well spoken, Miyuki." He responded.  
"I just know how to deal with people, you need to for my line of work."  
"Indeed, I don't suppose it would be too imposing to enquire what products you have available?"  
Smirking slightly, Miyuki reached into her pocket to produce a small bag of white powder, holding it out to him.  
"This is the good stuff. And I like you Snake, so I swear I'm not ripping you off." She said.  
"I'm glad to hear I'm in your favour, how much?"  
"Call it a welcome gift."  
"Oh but I insist, if you won't rip me off then I won't do the same to you."  
Snake clicked his fingers and one of his guards took a box out of the limo, bringing it over to the two of them. The box was opened and Snake looked inside, thinking a few moments before taking a thin diamond bracelet out and handing it to Miyuki. She took the bracelet, examining it a few moments before raising an eyebrow at him.  
"Here's a tip Snake, don't carry real jewels around in this town." She commented, looking at his guards before adding, "No matter how much muscle you have behind you."  
"You can tell they're genuine? That's not an easy skill, I'm rather impressed. Tell me, is it only jewels that you can identify?"  
"Jewellery, paintings, documents... I get bored so I look at things and then pick up the mistakes, it's not too tricky when you've had enough practise."  
"Someone with your skills should not be working the streets. If you ever fancy a more fulfilling career, give me a call. I assure you that you would be a valuable addition to our company." He said, pulling a red business card out of his pocket and handing it to her. "Until we meet again, Miss Miyuki."  
With that he turned and left, smiling as he noticed Miyuki slipping the card into her pocket, feeling her eyes watching him enter the limousine. When he was inside he looked out and smiled at her.  
"Two gems and a business contract already, this town is indeed full of treasure." He said, chuckling slightly as he indicated to the driver to start moving.


	10. Chapter 10

"Sometimes I wonder."  
Kimura felt pretty bad as Suzuki spoke to him.  
It showed just how much his boss respected him that he would actually come all the way here to talk, and that made Kimura feel terrible about letting Suzuki down. After the entire thing with Black and the Apaches was bad enough but then...  
He suddenly remembered his other task.  
"Uh Mr Suzuki, about Miyuki-"  
"Let me guess, she didn't take the offer? I didn't expect her too." Suzuki smiled, turning to look at Kimura. "Thank you for trying though, I knew I could trust you to at least try."  
Kimura looked down, feeling like he had really let his boss down. Even though he had failed with the Apaches, if he could have at least got Miyuki to leave that would have been something.  
"Do you know how I found out about Miyuki?" Suzuki asked, laughing slightly at Kimura's confused face. "I was out doing some rough work on the streets; the usual backstreet nonsense and I saw her talking to a couple of local kids. Just by looking at her I knew... I knew that she was mine. You know what I mean? When you see something and just know that it's a part of you?" he laughed slightly. "Unfortunately she saw me too, and I often regret just how much her mother told her about me because she looked at me with such disgust and hatred... no child should look at their father like that but part of me knew I deserved each dirty glance."  
"Mr Suzuki, I have to ask..." Kimura said, feeling even guiltier with all this information. "Why are you telling me all of this? All this stuff about Miyuki and her mother, why would you share that with somebody like me?"  
Suzuki smiled, thinking about it a moment.  
"Because I like you Kimura, I feel I can trust you. Besides, now that you're going to be a father I want to make sure you don't make my mistakes. No matter how your child sees you, if you love them and give them what you can then it's going to work out, one way or another. I wasn't just being sentimental when I said love is all you need... then again maybe I was, everything that's going down is making me realise just how important Treasure Town is."  
Suzuki took a drag on his cigarette, looking around the area in a melancholic way.  
"Mr Suzuki, even though I on time off... I could still try... you know with Miyuki..." Kimura mumbled.  
"I appreciate the thought, but I think I'm going to have to try talking to her myself. In fact I might do that right now, while Treasure Town is still standing."  
"So the developments are really going ahead?"  
"Yep, the boss is only concerned with money and hasn't even considered the people." Suzuki replied. "He and this Snake guy-"  
"Snake?" Kimura tried to hide the shock in his voice, was it really the guy behind all the changes to Treasure Town that he was going to accept a job offer from.  
"Yeah, some foreigner who thinks a kids amusement park is the only way to get Treasure Town up and running. I don't like him much, but the boss thinks he's some kind of genius so we have to go on." Suzuki smiled again, but more half-heartedly this time, dropping the cigarette and squashing it beneath his feet. "Well you take care Kimura, give my regards to your wife and child."  
"Sure thing, uh... Thanks for coming Mr Suzuki, it was good seeing you." Kimura said.  
"Nice seeing you too, although I'm sure it won't be the last time." Suzuki said, nodding at Kimura before beginning to walk away.  
Kimura watched him leave, then turned and walked the other way.  
Snake was behind these developments, so what job could he possibly have for somebody like Kimura?  
There was only one way to find out.


	11. Chapter 11

Several crinkled notes were placed in Miyuki's hand.  
"I think you've miscounted a little." She responded to the four men she was dealing with, feeling that she was two notes too short.  
"Not at all, we're just taking a little back for the damage your old man did to us." The oldest of the four said, grinning in a nasty manner.  
"I don't have an old man, so either give me my money or give me back my stuff."  
"You honestly think you can make us sweetheart?" The guy said, snapping his fingers so that his cronies closed in around her. "In fact just for being so rude, I reckon you can take a little more payback for the rat's mess."  
The group continued to close in around her, grinning in a smug manner as they watched her carefully. Miyuki just sighed, slipping a hand into the waistband of her skirt to grab the barrel of her gun and she waited patiently for somebody to make the wrong move.  
It just happened to be the guy standing behind her.  
_First rule of dealing with delinquents,_ She thought to herself, feeling a hand reach out and grab her arm. _Never attack from behind._  
Miyuki spun around with abnormal speed, driving her elbow deep into the man's gut before bashing the gun's handle into his face, feeling the warm splatter of blood as his nose cracked from the force.  
The other two reacted more quickly, one nearly grabbing hold of the gun before she wrenched it away. Delivering a quick kick to the man's lower-regions, Miyuki flipped backwards so she was out of their way, her breathing quickened and slightly heavier. Despite being a delinquent at heart, and having some tricks that could even catch Black off guard, it had been ages since she'd had any need for these kind of antics.  
Truth be told, she felt a little rusty.  
But that didn't mean she was giving up.  
"That all you got honey?" She asked, grinning slightly as the other man grabbed a metal pipe from the ground and launched himself at her.  
"Screw you bitch!"  
The attack came down faster than she expected and Miyuki nearly didn't dodge it, but once it had hit the ground she grabbed the other end and forcefully pushed it up to hit the guy's chin. While he fell to the ground, writhing in pain, Miyuki saw the one she had kicked earlier hastily trying to get away. She flipped her pistol the right way, cocking it and pointing it at him.  
**BANG**  
An echoing shriek sounded from the man as her bullet found its target, burying deep into his leg and spilling thick, read blood down his leg.  
Miyuki never killed people... but she had no objection to dealing with idiots like this.  
"Now, perhaps we can talk business in a more civilised manner." She said, turning to look at the leader.  
He was white as a sheet and frozen to the spot, looking at the girl with a gun in her hand and blood on her face. Slowly he started to turn away, wanting only to get away from this psychotic scene... then he saw the dark eyed boy standing behind him, a sadistic grin on his face.  
"Forget something?" Black asked, still grinning that terrifying smile.  
The man lost it, babbling like an idiot as he pulled out his wallet and tossed it towards Miyuki, running past Black with a look of sheer horror contorting his features.  
"Trust you to come and take all the credit." Miyuki muttered, walking over and picking up the wallet with a raised eyebrow at Black.  
"Well I was going to offer some help, but I think you handled it pretty well."  
"That doesn't mean I couldn't have done with a hand, it's been a while since I've done that."  
"Yeah, I thought people stopped blaming you for the rat's chaos." Black said, walking towards her and eyeing the groaning men on the floor, still trying to crawl away. "Guess some people don't change."  
"Nope, they really don't."  
Miyuki and Black looked at each other for a moment... before bursting out laughing.  
They were in a dark alleyway, surrounded by badly beaten and terrified men, with the cash of their cowardly leader... yet they were practically in stitches from laughing. Neither of them really knew what was funny about this, but it just seemed so normal for them to be laughing together that they couldn't help it.  
"So, you want to know what's new in Treasure Town or did you just come for the show?" Miyuki said, wiping a tear from her eye as she began to calm down.  
"There's been some talk of a foreigner but I haven't seen anything." Black responded, taking a few deep breaths and looking at her. "What do you know?"  
"Well he's here to stay, and he's packing some serious cash." She said, holding her arm out to show the diamond bracelet on her wrist.  
"Real?"  
"As you or me mate, I'm assuming he didn't have any local cash so that's how he paid me."  
"Maybe you should watch out, guys like that don't just come here for nothing. Try not to make a habit of that."  
"Good lord Black, are you jealous?"  
"Why would I be jealous?"  
"Good point, why would you..." Miyuki mumbled gently, her face hiding the pain she felt that she still couldn't stir up feelings like that in Black, no matter how long they had known each other or how close they were. "Well I'm not going to do anything stupid but I think that-"  
"BLACK! BLACK!"  
They both turned to see White running towards them, his face looking genuinely frightened.  
"White, what is it?" Black asked.  
"We gots to go Black, I just saw the bad guys! Really really bad guys!" Insisted White, pulling at Black's sleeve desperately.  
"Okay okay, we'll go. See you later Miyuki."  
With that the two of them ran down the alley and out onto the street.  
Miyuki sighed again, remembering how quickly her feelings had changed. She had been so happy and content when she and Black were laughing together, yet just a few words had reminded her how hopeless her happiness was.  
But... it was just after her mini-massacre that they had started laughing. In fact now she thought about it, they seemed to get on best when they were dealing with the darker side of life. Why was it only in the midst of violence and chaos that she and Black ever really seemed to connect? Was there something wrong with her? Did she really want to live like that? And how could she want Black to be like that when she could easily see the torment it caused White? How could she contradict her own advice to Black?  
A groan alerted her to the remaining guy, the others had managed to leave while she had been talking to Black, who was trying to grab the pipe again.  
"Don't even think about it bastard." She said, grinning as he shrank back from her before turning away and heading down the alley.


	12. Chapter 12

**Bounce. Bounce. Bounce.**  
"Your mum still says no?"  
The trio of kids continued to bounce the ball around the court, each of them trying to throw it into the basket. The eldest boy was looking at the other boy incredulously.  
"She says it's too late to go out."  
"Maybe she's afraid the Minotaur will get you." The young girl said, grinning.  
"The Minotaur's not real Yoko, you know that." The elder boy said, grabbing the ball off her before clumsily throwing it at the basket. "He's just a story used to scare kids."  
"He is he is!" Yoko insisted. "He is, isn't he Mika?"  
Mika hesitated, looking slightly frightened at the older boy. He was so distracted by this that he missed the ball and let it bounce behind him.  
"Well Koyami, everybody says that-"  
"Don't be such a wimp Mika; nobody can prove the Minotaur exists!"  
"So does that mean you can prove he doesn't?"  
The three of them turned at the sound of the other voice, seeing Miyuki sat on a wall at the side of the court, holding the ball in her hands.  
"Hey Miyuki!" Yoko said eagerly, running over to her while the others reluctantly followed. "Uh, you have something red on your cheek."  
"What? Oh damn, I thought I'd got all that off..." Miyuki muttered, wiping away the little mark on her cheek. "Better?"  
"Better."  
"Good. Now then, what's all this about the Minotaur?"  
Koyami groaned, feeling himself the sensible one due to being eight in comparison to the two six-year olds.  
"I'm just explaining how the Minotaur is just a story."  
"Big liar." Yoko moaned. "Hey Miyuki, you've been here a long time so surely you must have seen him?"  
Miyuki thought about it a moment.  
"Personally... no, I haven't seen him." She replied, noticing Yoko's look of disappointment and Koyami's smug expression. "But I believe that he's real, and that he is watching over us all the time. I imagine he has heard your doubts and is going to appear to prove his existence to you. So don't doubt what you're told, you know the story for a reason..."  
Her voice trailed off slightly, causing the trio to look at her curiously. There was a rather glazed expression in her eyes, drifting off to somewhere other than where she was now. The story of the Minotaur had always fascinated her intensely, although she wasn't sure how to explain his existence. There was just something that told her the Minotaur was real, some gut instinct deep down.  
"You do know him don't you! You love him!"  
"Don't be stupid Yoko. Miyuki's with Black." Koyami corrected.  
"I..." Mika began; worried somebody was going to laugh at him. "I thought Black was the Minotaur."  
That snapped Miyuki back to reality, causing her to laugh loudly. People were afraid of Black, but even she hadn't realised it had gotten this bad.  
"Black's too young to be the Minotaur." She said, smiling at him sweetly. "You see, the Minotaur has been around for a very long time, longer than me and Black put together. My mother used to tell me the story when I was very little, and her mother told it to her. The Minotaur is as old as Treasure Town and will probably be here long after we're all dead."  
"But Black's scary enough to be the Minotaur."  
"While I'm sure he would take that as a compliment, I highly doubt Black is the Minotaur. Besides," She said, throwing the ball and watching it land in the hoop. "Even Black can't keep secrets from me. So, now that we've established the Minotaur is indeed real perhaps you guys can-"  
**CRASH!**  
The kids screamed and Miyuki jumped out her skin as something landed in the centre of the court with a heavy crash, sending shockwaves across the concrete. She stood up, standing in front of the trio as she tried to see through the dust what had happened... only to move back quickly at the sight of a large, vaguely humanoid creature standing in the middle of a small crater where it had landed so heavily. The creature, which they could now see had purple skin and wore a black eye-patch over one eye, turned to look at them. It stared a while before bending slightly and jumping upwards. The sheer power of the jump propelled the creature incredibly high and as Miyuki watched, it moved at least three miles away from them before dropping and jumping again.  
"What was that?" Koyami asked, the other two clutching his legs tightly.  
"I don't know..." Miyuki murmured, watching until the creature couldn't be seen.  
It didn't take long; the little dot soon disappeared into the distance. How could anything like that move so fast... or with such distance?  
And why hadn't she seen that guy here before?


	13. Chapter 13

Kimura watched as Snake spoke on the phone.  
"... But of course, do not feel like a stranger at all. Pop by when you can and we'll sort things out." Snake said, smiling as he put the phone down.  
"And here I thought I was special." Kimura commented sarcastically, causing Snake to laugh.  
"Oh you are special my friend, you are the one I have plans for." He said, slowly walking over to Kimura. "But the best way to earn people's trust is to offer them something. Jobs are being offered to anybody who can do them, everybody has skills Kimura."  
"What kind of skills do you think I have?"  
"You're terribly paranoid aren't you? Your part will be revealed in good time my friend." Responded Snake, beginning to walk upstairs. "I must confess things aren't moving as quickly as I had hoped, there are a few phone calls I'm still waiting for."  
"You sound disappointed, your girlfriend not called you back?"  
"Not in the sense you are implying Kimura, although there is a young lady I'm eager to hear from. You will probably know her, a girl named Miyuki?"  
"Miyuki?" Kimura stopped, staring at Snake incredulously. "You offered Miyuki a job?"  
"Indeed, the girl is clearly very intelligent and skilful."  
"Yeah and she's also the closest person to the cats you're ever going to meet. Not the best person to work with when you've just sent three huge guys to kill them."  
Snake raised a curled eyebrow at him.  
"I have been investigating the many inhabitants of Treasure Town and yes, I am aware of Miyuki's connection to the cats and to Black in particular. However she is also one of the most trusted beings in the whole district, making her a valuable mine of information. Naturally that also makes her very dangerous, which is why I hope that when she does turn up you will be a bit more... discreet in our activities."  
Kimura frowned.  
Keeping what they did a secret from the outside world had always been a given rule but how did Snake intend to hide the fact that he wanted to have Black killed from the closest thing he had to a friend? He didn't really give a damn about Miyuki but... there was still some deep seated loyalty for Suzuki that made Kimura reluctant to lie to her.  
Snake seemed to read his mind because he suddenly laughed, putting an arm around his shoulder.  
"Oh don't worry my friend; I'm sure that Suzuki would agree that withholding such information would be a kindness to that sweet girl. He would thank us for doing this. Now please give me an answer, I want to be certain I can trust you."  
Pulling away sharply, Kimura bent his head slightly, gritting his teeth.  
"I won't say anything... but I don't want you dragging her into anything bad." He said, glaring at his employer. "She's just a kid after all. Just because she hangs with Black it doesn't mean she's as strong as him, and she's not half as dangerous."  
"Heh heh, you're becoming quite soft. Let's hope you can still pull out all the stocks when it's needed." He said, walking away and looking out of the window. "Miyuki will not be put into any dangerous situations. I'm more interested in her intellectual qualities, specifically her remarkable ability to spot fakes. Some of my business associates have been attempting to... oh what's the term? Ah yes, pull the wool over my eyes. I want to ensure that nobody is lying to me."  
"And if they are?"  
Snake turned back to Kimura, a cruel smile on his face as he pulled out a cigar from his pocket.  
"Then we deal with them. Now could you please give me a light?"


	14. Chapter 14

A breeze came over her skin, creating goose bumps on her arms as she sat there.

Miyuki closed, remembering the conversation that led her here…

i"Sen what is it?"

"Those kids, Black was seen taking White to a hospital! Dragging him, the kid looked barely conscious…"

"What? When?"

"Just now, someone said there was blood trailing after them! I don't know what happened but-"

"I have to go!"

"Miyuki! MIYUKI!"/i

It hadn't taken her long to get there. Black had gone into an alley with Gramps while the Doctor told her that White wasn't able to receive visitors yet, so Miyuki just sat outside with her arms wrapped around her legs.

Waiting.

White… she couldn't believe he was actually hurt!

After all the scrapes she'd seen those boys get into, and the multitude she didn't know about, it was a harsh shock that one of them had been seriously wounded. The doctor told her that White had been stabbed and lost a lot of blood, but even if she hadn't been told she would have been worried.

It had to be bad for Black to even consider a hospital.

Black.

She tried to imagine how this would affect him. Ever since she had met them, one thing was always certain; Black wanted to protect White.

This had to be a huge blow to him.

Footsteps caught her attention.

Her eyes lifted.

"Black?"

The boy didn't respond to her voice, continuing to walk slowly along the pavement. His face had changed.

When she first spotted him, he'd seemed empty. Lost. Just how she'd expect.

But his expression now was… she'd never seen anything like that before.

Hardened. Cold. Certain.

"Black what happened? Are you alright?" She tried again, getting up and going after him. Her hand reached out to grab his arm. "Black answer-"

He suddenly spun around and gripped her wrist… hard.

The grip was tight and painful, Miyuki was sure she felt bruises forming already, but that was irrelevant as her eyes met Black's in a rigid stare.

Dark.

That was the only way she could describe those eyes as they stared at each other.

"It doesn't matter. Nothing gets in the way of my town."

For a while there was silence.

It was then that Miyuki became aware of the large, black crow watching them from atop a nearby telephone pole.

Something had changed.

And though her greatest concern at that moment was White… a sense of calm overcame Miyuki.

"I understand." She responded softly, never breaking his gaze.

Black let go of her wrist.

Then he walked on again before vaulting himself up to the top of the pole, the crow now hovering around it.

Miyuki rubbed her wrist slightly, beginning to turn away from-

"NOOOOO!"

Her head snapped around to see Fujimura coming out of the hospital, carrying a screaming White in his arms while Sawada tried to hold the doctor back. What the hell was going on? Her first instinct was to run over and help White but then she heard him call out Black's name.

More silence.

Fujimura had begun shouting at Black, telling him this was for White's own good, but Miyuki had already figured out what his response would be.

"White's only holding me back. Take him away."

Miyuki closed her eyes.

And walked away.

She could hear White's screams and Black's responses but there was nothing she could do now.

White was safer with the police. Black was taking a different route.

Her heart was conflicted.

Part of her wanted to go back and be with White. Comfort him, tell him that Black didn't mean it and things would be alright. She wanted to make sure that he would recover and that he didn't feel abandoned.

And the other part of her was content.

Despite all her advice to Black about calming down and focusing on White, despite every time she had encouraged them with their plans to leave… she felt closest to Black when he was lost in his darkness.

That darkness she'd seen in his eyes when he grabbed her wrist.

It was a selfish happiness that she felt incredibly guilty about, but she wanted to be closer to him just as much as she wanted to see White safe and happy; perhaps even more so.

Either way, this change meant the streets weren't going to be safe for a while.

She needed to keep out of the way.

Fishing a few coins out of her pocket, Miyuki walked over to the nearest payphone.

bClick. Click. Click./b

She wrapped her fingers around a small, red card before dialling the numbers written upon it.

Dial tones echoed in her ear for a moment.

Then…

i"Hello, this is Snake speaking. How can I be of assistance?"/i


	15. Chapter 15

Winter had come around.

Miyuki stared out at the sprawling district below them, eyes following the falling snowflakes.

Her work had been steady but productive, it had been a good while since she'd even thought about pushing drugs and the pay was good. In fact she'd surprised herself with how well she could identify fake documents and loopholes amidst all the official contracts.

Snake was impressed.

She still wasn't entirely convinced about him, not liking the whole amusement park idea for a start, but so far she had nothing really to gripe about.

The only thing that had made her suspicious was seeing his bodyguards again… and recognising one as the creature that appeared before her and those kids a while back. Something in her gut told her Snake was hiding something but if she called him out she wouldn't get any answers. Best to just keep her head down and see what she could. It had surprised her how many deals this guy had made, even Fujimura's name turned up a few times.

"Oh, Miyuki."

She lifted her eyes to meet Kimura's as he appeared in the doorway.

"Hello Kimura."

"I didn't expect you to still be here."

"Just finishing up, I'm heading out soon." She muttered, eyes narrowed.

The air grew uncomfortably tense.

Miyuki still didn't like Kimura, and despite his false pleasantries it was clear he wasn't her biggest fan either. She'd been sceptical when she saw that he was also working here, to the point where she nearly changed her mind.

Although now she thought about it…

"Kimura, you've never told me what you do here."

He shifted slightly before responding "I don't really know myself." With a shrug, he nodded at her before continuing up the stairs.

Miyuki continued to stare after him, genuinely surprised by his answer.

Then she noticed the time and stood up.

Nobody gave her any trouble as she left the building, Snake generally allowed her to come and go as she pleased so it wasn't long until she was outside in the cold weather, pulling her jacket around her shoulders before beginning to walk.

"So the rumours are true."

The voice floated across the street, freezing her to the spot.

Suzuki laughed slightly as he lit a cigarette, his eyes on Miyuki.

"The Treasure Town Angel has gone legit. I thought it was too good to be true."

"Times have changed, I needed something more stable." She responded, turning her head towards him. "Long time no see Rat."

"Sorry I haven't kept in contact, been rehearsing this conversation for so long that I missed my chance to say it."

He walked over to her until they stood face to face, gazing down at her. Miyuki wasn't certain but she thought she saw a hint of sadness in his old eyes.

"Bit late to start apologising now isn't it?" She asked, her hands clenching into fists. "But seeing as we're here, why don't you spit it out?"

"Hehe, straight to the point as always. That's your mother coming through. She never messed about, only said what she meant to." His voice was as calm as ever, but the words were unexpected. "You look so much like her, so damn beautiful. Shame my ugly mug left some traces on that beauty."

"You've… you've never spoken about mum before…" Miyuki murmured, feeling a little shaky. What was going on? Was this some kind of game he was playing? "Suppose I shouldn't be surprised, she was just another pretty stripper to you wasn't-"

Her words were cut off when she felt herself pressed against a warm chest, strong arms pulling her into a tight embrace.

Neither of them said a word.

They just stood there, one holding onto the other in the middle of the street.

Miyuki's eyes were wide as she leaned against him, not quite able to believe what was happening… or that she wasn't pulling away.

"I'm so sorry Miki." He murmured, burying his face in her black hair. "Even when I wasn't in your life I made it hell."

The words were simple, short and sweet.

But they carried far more weight than a full blown speech ever could. To the point where Miyuki found herself sliding her own arms around his waist, closing her eyes to stop the prickling tears from falling.

There was no reason for this.

She couldn't believe him.

She couldn't forgive him.

She couldn't love him.

But, just for this moment she would accept him.

As a father.

Just this once.

The moment didn't last for long, causing the two to pull away from each other awkwardly.

"So, what you really doing with that foreigner?" He asked, pulling the cigarette out of his mouth while avoiding her gaze.

"As you said, going legit." She muttered, brushing loose ash out of her hair. "He's got me checking contracts for fakes. Nothing much but it's easy work."

"You should be careful of people like that; nothing good can come of it."

"Heh, you sound just like Black."

Miyuki was about to turn away when he said "That's something else. He seems a little… different these days. A bit more dangerous, if that's even possible."

"He's just taking a different path these days." She responded, a little too quickly to what she intended. "Nothing to worry about."

"All the same, I'd keep an eye out. No point going legit if you still get caught up with all that."

Miyuki rolled her eyes and turned away, beginning to walk away from him while rubbing her still red eyes from earlier.

She called back to him, "Don't fret about me Rat, I can deal with Black's current state of mind."

Suzuki watched her moving slowly away, his lips creasing into a half smile.

"Yeah, that's what worries me." He muttered, taking another drag on his cigarette before turning to walk the opposite way.


	16. Chapter 16

The staff came down on the thugs head with a resounding crack.

"Get back you crazy bastard!"

bSmack./b

Another one went down, blood spurting from his nose and mouth as he hit the ground.

Black's eyes narrowed and his manic grin widened.

bCrack. Thwack. Snap./b

Each man was felled by the swift, violent blows. Bones broke and skin split while the concrete was dyed deep scarlet with the flowing blood.

This went on for a minute or so until the entire group was dead.

And Black was left standing there.

Breathing heavily.

"You keep this up you'll be the only one left in this town."

His head rocked back while his shoulders shook with laughter, turning his eyes to face Miyuki.

She met his gaze steadily, taking a few steps forward amongst the collection of corpses. It wasn't often she got to see the full extent of his violence and despite how gruesome the scene was, she felt oddly calm.

"No wonder people say you've cracked." She muttered, still keeping her eyes on him.

"Cracked… they're the only people who've cracked at the moment… heheheheheheh…" His grin grew wider while he turned to face her, the staff still gripped tightly in his hand. "You wanting to crack too Miyuki?"

"I'm not scared of you Black."

"You should be."

"Why?"

For a moment he didn't say anything.

Then a resounding hiss came out of nowhere as he swung the staff down at her, an act that she only just managed to dodge.

The weapon smashed down on the concrete just next to her foot.

Miyuki panted slightly, a little shocked at what just happened. She didn't have time to think about it as she ducked to avoid another swing, kicking her leg out to knock him off balance.

Black stumbled backwards but some came back again. Her arms went up to block the attack, an act she immediately regretted as her bones shuddered with pain from the weight of the blow; thank god she'd developed tough skin over the years. Grabbing the staff she yanked it back and brought her knee up into his stomach.

Doubling over, Black gave a grunt before twisting the staff so it smacked Miyuki against the wall. A shriek of pain was caught in her throat as she felt the cold weapon press against it, her hand fumbling at her waist to get the gun; this was then pressed to the base of Black's chin.

The two stood there, locked in that stance for a while as if daring the other to finish them off.

Miyuki's heart was racing with a mix of fear, adrenaline and… pleasure.

There was the darkness she'd seen before.

Her subconscious was screaming at her that this wasn't right, that he shouldn't have gone this far in the first place. But the way he was staring at her, the intensity in his eyes as he gazed directly into hers…

"My town."

"Your rules."

There was a mutual understanding there, a respect that she'd never gained before. The same kind of feelings they always shared in these moments of violence.

"Have you seen White?"

Something snapped.

The intensity was gone, replaced by a lost glaze of madness. The grin was only half there and now seemed confused, unsure of itself.

A cough racked her body as the pressure left her throat, causing her to drop the gun as he pulled away.

"I can't find him anywhere… He was supposed to stay put…"

The boy staggered away, muttering more about White while Miyuki watched slowly, steadying herself against the wall.

"Black? Are you alright?"

"Just need to find White… where can he be…"

"Black what's wrong with you? Black?"

Her voice trailed as he walked away, something causing her stomach to churn.

That lost expression, she'd only seen anything like that once before… when she'd first seen him at the hospital.

But this was different, this was far worse…

She was more disturbed by that emptiness than the fact that he'd just attacked her.

At least with the darkness he was still Black.

Miyuki didn't know the shell that was moving away from her.


	17. Chapter 17

"Agent Yuki reporting- woah!"

Miyuki was nearly knocked off her feet with the force of White suddenly running over to hug her tightly.

"Hey! What did I do to deserve this?" She laughed, resting a hand on White's head as she stared down at him.

White didn't hug people often. The only one he'd ever had much physical contact with is Black; then again she'd never known the two to be separated so long. She'd seen the change it had created in Black; White she could only guess at what was going on in his brain. Poor kid.

That part of her heart started to sting again, the part that wanted the two to get back together for White's sake.

But… her selfish desire stopped her from doing anything about it.

White looked up at her.

"Agent White needs to report, keeping the peace is hard." He responded.

"Yeah I know mate, I know." Miyuki hugged him back before looking around the room. "You've got a good little art gallery going on here."

"The kids got one hell of an imagination." Sawada's voice floated over, standing up from his seat with a load of drawings in his hands. "You doing good Miyuki? Heard you got a new job."

"Just something to keep me off the streets while the cold weather sticks around." She responded as White let her go and ran back to his drawing desk.

Her eyes flicked around each of the images slowly.

"How's he been doing?" She asked Sawada quietly, once she was convinced that White was absorbed in his drawing again.

"Not bad, he's stopped asking about Black recently though. I'm a bit relieved to be honest, sounds like he's gone off the deep end big time. Not sure how I was going to explain it to White."

"I saw him the other night."

Sawada's eyes widened and he moved a little closer, his eyes flicking to White before asking, "What was he like? Is he okay?"

"He's… different." She sighed, looking the cop in the eyes. "For a moment I thought I saw Black getting back to normal, or at least back to his old self but then… he went strange."

Her hand unconsciously clasped her arms to remind her of the pain she'd felt during the fight, especially when she'd stupidly used them to block that staff. And yet she couldn't tell Sawada about the fight itself, because that would only raise questions… she knew that what she considered Black's 'old self' would only concern everybody else.

"I suppose you've heard about all the deaths."

"Been getting the reports day after day, I've been saying here with White so I haven't seen much damage myself." Sawada smiled, watching White getting into his drawing. "Such a great kid, shame he's stuck with all this crap."

The door suddenly creaked open.

"Sawada have you seen… Ah, there you are Miyuki. I figured you'd be here seeing as you weren't at home."

Fujimura nodded at Sawada and White before walking up to Miyuki.

"We need to have a word."

"I get off the streets and you still don't leave me be? What does it take to please you Fujimura?"

The cop's gaze was serious and sombre, something she hadn't seen in a while.

"Could you step outside a moment?"

"Sure. Later Sawada. Bye Agent White." She muttered, starting to follow Fujimura out the room.

Just before the door closed she noticed White was just sitting there at his desk. Something seemed to be wrong. He was just staring into space.

The door clicked shut and her eyes went to Fujimura.

"Is this about Black? I saw him the other night and he seemed off but I don't know exactly what's up or why he's-"

"This has nothing to do with Black." He said, closing his eyes for a moment. "It's about the rat. I don't know how to tell you this but…"

Her eyes widened slightly, she hadn't seen him since that strange moment they'd had. So far as she knew the rat had been laying low due to the amount of gangster deaths going on. Nearly all of them caused by Black.

And despite everything she was slightly worried about him.

"Just say it Fujimura."

It couldn't be that bad whatever it was, her concern was at the barest minimum so she didn't understand why he was struggling to tell-

"He's dead Miyuki. Suzuki got killed last night."


	18. Chapter 18

"Suzuki's dead…"

Kimura's eyes fixed onto his hands.

Funny, there hadn't been any blood when it happened but no matter what he did he couldn't wash it off.

The gun was still there.

How could he have agreed to this? After all Suzuki had done for him, how could he have killed him just because some foreign creep told him to? He could have left town, taken his girlfriend somewhere far away. It would mean not seeing Suzuki again but at least he'd be alive. Snake could have just gone to hell!

No, this was hell.

And he was still going to leave town.

Suzuki had warned him about Treasure Town and how it corrupted everything it touched. He wished he'd seen it earlier; everything had gone wrong since he came here. The only good thing he had left was his future wife and their unborn child. What kind of life was it for a child here?

The Cats.

Miyuki.

Other delinquents he'd seen hanging around.

Every example he saw was a bad one.

Kimura wasn't going to let his kid become something like that. They were going to have a good, happy life away from all this violence and death.

But he couldn't just leave without finishing some things.

That bastard Snake, he needed to pay for what had been done.

Gripping the gun, he slid the weapon into his waistband and stretched his shirt over it, his lungs rattling slightly with each ragged breath he took.

iCalm down Kimura, keep it together. This won't work unless you seem calm./i

With that, he began to make his way to the tower.

He wouldn't do it straightaway; he needed to be sure they would be alone. Kimura couldn't take down his bodyguards even with the gun, plus there were other people working in the building. His timing had to be perfect; otherwise he'd be shot down before he could escape.

The looming shape of the tower came into his vision.

His eyes closed for a moment before snapping open again, regaining his composure as he went in through the doors and headed towards the stairs.

Up.

Up.

Up.

He became increasingly aware of the cold metal against his skin.

It felt so uncomfortable, how could anyone carry such a tool around all the time? According to Suzuki, Miyuki always had hers wherever she-

Miyuki.

The girl deserved to know. She worked for Snake, keeping her in the dark about this was cruel. Besides, he didn't want her near this when it happened. No matter how much she disowned her father, he owed it to both her and Suzuki to let her know.

Just before the last set of stairs he detoured into the small office she worked in.

No sign of her.

Perhaps that was for the best. He wasn't convinced he'd keep up his composure if he had to speak to her.

Kimura's eyes flicked towards the desk, grabbing one of the pages littered across before scribbling a few quick words on the back of it.

h3Snake is responsible for Suzuki's death. Get out of here; I'll take care of it. Kimura/h3

He dropped the pen and made his way up the stairs.


	19. Chapter 19

The crinkling paper sound echoed throughout the small room.

A small thud resounded as the scrunched up page bounced on the floor.

Miyuki's eyes were wide.

Her breathing was so shallow one might think she wasn't breathing at all.

Her hands were trembling so much they appeared to be caused by an earthquake.

Her mouth was so dry she couldn't even contemplate swallowing.

She knew, she knew that Snake had been doing something more with Treasure Town than just building a park but…

The words floated in her head once more.

And the trembling in her hands grew worse.

It wasn't like she cared about the rat…

He was just some Yakuza…

He didn't mean anything to her…

Not a damn thing…

Her hands gripped the back of the chair.

Lifted it into the air.

Brought it crashing down onto the table.

And she screamed.

It was angry.

It was long.

It was loud.

Ripping at random papers, smashing the glass of water left out for her, knocking over the books lined along the wall.

Rage was all she knew for several moments.

Then she came down.

And ran.

Her feet pounded against the metal stairs, not caring how many people saw her as she came hurtling out of the building.

She only stopped when she had crossed the river.

Gulping a lungful of the cold winter air, Miyuki thought about what had just happened.

Someone would have heard that. She wouldn't be surprised if the guards were sent after her, picking up any loose ends. Thinking about it, she wouldn't be surprised if this had been planned. It wouldn't have taken someone like Snake long to find out that she was Suzuki's daughter, her own view of that issue wouldn't have mattered; facts were facts after all.

Then she remembered when her father had come to see her.

No wonder Snake had killed him, if Suzuki had been half as suspicious in person as he was just talking to her then that would have made him a definite target.

Perhaps she should have left when they had spoke, perhaps she should have spent more time with him, perhaps she should have figured it out before… perhaps she could have saved him.

But he was dead now.

Literally.

There was nothing she could do except keep herself alive. It wouldn't be safe on the streets; maybe she could go and live with White and the cops. No. If Snake sent somebody then she'd be putting White in danger. Besides, Fujimura would never let her live it down.

She could go and hid out in her apartment, but her details would have been collected by now so they'd know that.

IBlack. /I

The thought came out of nowhere.

She hadn't seen him since that time they'd fought and he'd wandered off in a broken daze. Where could he be? Was he still broken? Or was Black back?

Her Black.

The Black she'd seen when he had her pressed against the wall.

Screams suddenly made her ears ring sharply.

She snapped her head around towards the source… Kiddie-Kastle.

Her legs were moving before she'd even thought; wanting to know what on earth was going on. Those screams were not those of kids enjoying rides.

Those were screams of terror.

Crowds were forcing their way out of the turnstiles, shoving against each other and her in their effort to get out.

Miyuki shoved and pushed back, trying to get to the front to see what was happening but her view was obstructed by the mass of bodies keep her away. Still she pressed on, eventually getting a brief view of the scene…

Black.

Two of Snake's bodyguards.

They were armed.

"No… NO! BLACK!"

Her screams were lost in the surge of the crowd, the gap of her view closing as she was forced back, unable to push back through.

She kept fighting back, she couldn't just forget about this! Those guards meant business. If Black was in the same state as he was last time then he'd-

The silence was broken by a louder sound.

An explosion.

Despite the moving crowd Miyuki stood stock still, staring up at the crumbling theme park.

"They're dead! Those things look like they're dead!"

The owner of the voice didn't matter, it had just told her all she needed to know.

If the guards were dead, and part of the park destroyed, that could only mean that…

A grin came about her face and she slowly began to laugh.

Amidst the crowds of terrified people she was overjoyed and ecstatic. A rush of adrenaline overcame her as she turned and walked away from the scene, still laughing like a psychopath while one thought came through her mind.

"He's back… My Black's back!"


	20. Chapter 20

"WHITE! White I've got some great news about-"

Miyuki froze in the doorway to the room.

Pictures were still stuck up all over the place. Crayons and toys scattered the floor. Two chairs stood at either end of the room, skewed slightly from when someone was sat on them.

The room was exactly the same as last time.

Except for one thing.

White.

Tentatively, she stepped forward into the empty room.

Had they gone on a walk? Out to get some food? The doctors?

This was her usual visiting time; she'd been assured that they'd be there at this time every day. So where were they? Something hadn't happened had it?

A dark shape caught her attention.

One of the pictures stuck on the wall across from her. It was new, and it was different.

She walked over to it, making out the sharply drawn shadowy shape of a face with horns upon its head.

This wasn't what White usually drew; it seemed far too dark for him. And yet…

As she stared at the image intently, something stirred inside her.

The same feeling she got when she was with Black.

When she was with the real Black.

And now she looked, the image looked like the min-

"Miyuki?"

She span around sharply, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw Fujimura standing in the doorway.

"Oh there you are, I was beginning to think you'd all abandoned this place!" Miyuki exclaimed, laughing slightly as she approached the cop. "So, where's White?"

"They didn't tell you?"

Her footsteps stopped.

"Tell me? Who didn't tell me what?"

Fujimjura's face fell, and something dropped in her chest.

"Black came back to his senses, he and White are leaving town."

A cold wave overcame her body.

"Sawada booked them a flight to some beach resort; he's escorting them out at this moment."

The breaths she took became more intense.

"We've got them some supplies together and found a spot for them to get settled down; give them a chance to start anew."

Muscles tensed painfully around her entire body.

"They wanted to let some people know they were going, I figured you'd be one of them."

Her senses dulled as that information cascaded around her skull.

"Miyuki? You okay?"

Miyuki lifted her eyes to face Fujimura.

A shaky smile came over her features.

"Yeah I'm fine. That's… that's great news. It will be good for White. They always wanted to ride an airplane…" She trailed off, trying to keep her composure. "Do you need help clearing this place up? I imagine you'll get in trouble if it stays like this."

Fujimura stared at her for a long time.

"Sure, I'd appreciate that. I'll just go get some boxes to put all this stuff in."

"Great… just great…"

The door closed behind him.

For a moment there was nothing but silence.

"They're gone… White… Black… gone… Black… Black's gone…"

Miyuki's shoulders began to shake.

Tears ran down her face.

She sank to her knees.

Each sob became louder, angrier, more desperate than the last until she was curled over on the floor, bawling her eyes out.

Grief.

Rage.

Betrayal.

Pain.

All of these and more racked her very soul while she clutched at herself and let out everything she could.

From behind the door, Fujimura listened to the girl crying.

Part of him wanted to go in and comfort her, but over the years he'd gotten to know Miyuki well enough to realise that it wouldn't help.

So he turned and walked away, leaving her alone in that room.

Alone.

All alone.

Always alone.

Just like she'd always been.

Just like she always would be.


End file.
